Earth-working machines, such as, for example, excavators, wheel loaders, hydraulic mining shovels, cable shovels, bucket wheels, bulldozers, and draglines, are generally used for digging or ripping into the earth or rock and/or moving loosened work material from one place to another at a worksite. These earth-working machines include various earth-working implements, such as a bucket or a blade, for excavating or moving the work material. These implements can be subjected to extreme wear from the abrasion and impacts experienced during the earth-working applications.
To protect these implements against wear, and thereby prolong the useful life of the implements, various ground engaging tools, such as teeth, edge protectors, and other wear members, can be provided on the earth-working implements in the areas where the most damaging abrasions and impacts occur. These ground engaging tools are removably attached to the implements using customized retainer systems, so that worn or damaged ground engaging tools can be readily removed and replaced with new ground engaging tools.
Many retainer systems have been proposed and used for removably attaching various ground engaging tools to earth-working implements. One example of such a retainer system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,762,015 to Smith et al. The system includes a rotating lock having a slot for receiving a post of an adapter that is mounted to or part of a work tool. The lock is positioned in a retainer bushing, which is positioned in a lock cavity of a ground engaging tool. When the lock is rotated, the entrance to the slot is blocked and the post cannot slide out of the slot, locking the ground engaging tool to the work tool.
Many problems and/or disadvantages still exist with known retainer systems. Various embodiments of the present disclosure may solve one or more of the problems and/or disadvantages.